Leucocytes have been shown to play a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of inflammation. This prospective, randomized, controlled study was designed to identify the most advantageous leucocyte depletion technique in terms of reduction in systemic inflammatory response syndrome and myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury associated with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Forty consecutive patien...

BACKGROUND Murine postoperative ileus results from intestinal inflammation triggered by manipulation-induced mast cell activation. As its extent depends on the degree of handling and subsequent inflammation, it is hypothesised that the faster recovery after minimal invasive surgery results from decreased mast cell activation and impaired intestinal inflammation. OBJECTIVE To quantify mast cel...

Aim-To determine whether the fluorescent in situ hybridisation technique (FISH) using a total human DNA genomic probe can be used to enumerate semen leucocytes.Methods-Semen samples from five donors were subjected to a mild KC1 solution. These samples were then biotin labelled under FISH conditions using a total human DNA genomic probe and the leucocyte counts were determined. To check the accu...

AIMS In vitro studies suggest that mast cell chymase (MCP) is more important than angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) for generating angiotensin II (Ang II) within the cardiovascular system. We investigated in vivo the relative contributions of ACE and MCP to leucocyte recruitment induced by endogenously generated Ang II. METHODS AND RESULTS Exposure of the murine cremasteric microcirculation...

Recent reports demonstrate a role for nucleotides as inflammatory modulators. Uridine, for example, reduces oedema formation and leucocyte infiltration in a Sephadex-induced lung inflammation model. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) concentration was also reduced. Previous in vivo observations indicated that 4-thiouridine might have similar effects on leucocyte infiltration and TNF release. The aim ...

Lipoprotein cholesterol determinations in 6328 individuals aged 20 to 79 years in the Framingham Heart Study Cohort and Offspring were related by multiple regression analysis to reported cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and Quetelet Index (wt/ht2). Cigarette smoking was found to be strongly associated with "atherogenic" lipoprotein cholesterol profiles in young adults, and particularly in wom...

Soluble antigen was prepared from adult worms and microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus. In 27 patients clinically characterized as having generalized type (17) and localized reaction type (10) onchocerciasis, the response to this antigen was assessed in vivo by skin testing and in vitro by leucocyte migration inhibition assay. Three varieties of skin hypersensitivity were observed: Immediate, A...

Leucocyte alkaline phosphatase activity was determined in both cell homogenates and cell extracts. Leucocytes were obtained from normal controls, pregnant females, and patients with various haematological disorders. Enzyme activity presented in terms of phosphorus per minute per 10 neutrophils was more in agreement with the reported cytochemical data in both normal and pathological cases, than ...

BACKGROUND Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with leucocyte and platelet activation and also organ dysfunction. Xenon has been found to have organ-protective effects. We therefore investigated the effect of isolated CPB on leucocyte and platelet activation and the efficacy of xenon in inhibiting these changes. METHODS Isolated CPB was conducted according to strict standardized clinic...

A new method is described for the quantitative study of leucocyte migration. Blood drawn into a capillary tube is centrifuged, forming a buffy coat. The migration of the leucocytes from the buffy coat into the plasma is measured by means of an ocular micrometer. While there is a great deal of variation from one normal individual to another in the migration rates of leucocytes those of each indi...